Houston Astros Still Have Chance At Making Postseason Fun Again

Houston has been a perennial postseason team over the past few seasons. They won two World Series in 2017 and 2022 while also picking up a few American League pennants along the way. Last season, though, the Detroit Tigers dominated the Astros and kicked them out in a first-round series.

Still, the Astros might be getting healthy at just the right time. Outfielder Jake Meyers is due back soon, meaning that one of the other outfielders they have been using to fill a roster spot might go to the bench. McCullers has been sent to bullpen duty after not performing well as a starter. The Astros also recently added veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel to their bullpen, which was necessitated by ace reliever Josh Hader going on the IL himself.

Their postseason runs have been excellent for the most part. A majority of MLB fans in opposing parks can’t stand the Astros, still holding grudges over their 2017 WS victory and the scandal that followed. But the postseason is usually a time where Houston excels.

The team this year, besides Altuve and Alvarez, brought back Carlos Correa in a deal with the Minnesota Twins. He’s already re-established himself as a leader, going to the pitcher’s mound all the time when a catcher comes out for a chat.

With their current stranglehold on first place in the AL West, don’t be surprised if the Astros go on a long postseason run once again.

End Of My Astros Rant

Manager Joe Espada has had to roll out so many different lineups this season that it’s amazing if the man hasn’t had headaches at times. Espada, despite some recent criticism due to the team’s performance, has placed himself squarely in any conversation for AL Manager of the Year consideration.

General manager Dana Brown has made moves to help the team, although I think the constant focus on using minor-league players to fill roles has its downside. Brown has expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s performance, even tossing some barbs as hitting coach Alex Cintron along the way.

Look, the team still has a lot of weapons. Sure, they’ve been a walking M*A*S*H unit this season. I think they have an upside, though, this month. Imagine getting so many players back in the lineup that haven’t been there too much right now. The Astros got off to a good start with their win over the Angels on Labor Day.

Maybe it is the kick in the pants that the team needed right now. Time will tell, though.